Widowspeak
The Swamps EP
Captured Tracks
Street: 10.29
Widowspeak = Mazzy Star + Dark Dark Dark + Cat Power
It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that The Swamps’ release date is just a few days before Halloween. Spiderwebbed banjo layered with Molly Hamilton’s blustery, beautiful vocals and crisp, distant guitar riffs make this a quintessential fall release. Their self-titled first album was almost tangibly ’90s, but The Swamps feels more ’70s folk—woodsy and cinematic, like Neil Young or Fleetwood Mac. “Calico” trickles an intimate nostalgia, with slow, intuitive bass and lyrics that speak of an overgrown house and articles of worn clothing. “Brass Bed” is melodic and rosy, but asks, “Baby, can we play dead laying in our brass bed?” It’s those touches of ghostliness and romanticism that make Widowspeak such an eerie treat—listen to the EP in full on their Bandcamp. –Kia McGinnis